The present invention relates to a steering wheel for a vehicle.
The structure of a vehicular steering wheel has a boss mounted to a steering shaft and an annular rim, these elements being linked via intervening spokes (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 11-59435, which discloses similar technology). With the steering shaft mounted to the body of the vehicle at a prescribed angle upward from a front bottom part of the vehicle inclined upwards in the rearward direction, the boss and rim are inclined toward the front of the vehicle, with the lower edge thereof protruding rearwardly. Elements such as a horn pad and airbag module are provided on a pad mounted to the boss. In arrangement provided with an airbag module, an airbag can be deployed toward an occupant when a collision occurs.
A metal core is provided inside the pad and spokes, extending from the steering shaft to the rim, the rim being supported by the strength of this metal core. As noted above, the rim is inclined so as to protrude rearwardly at the bottom edge thereof, so that the body of the occupant makes contact with the bottom edge of the rim first.
For this reason, to protect the occupant, the strength of the inner metal core is optimally adjusted so as to soften the shock imparted to the occupant, by having the bottom edge of the rim bend toward the front, as it comes into contact with the occupant. Although an excessively weak core causes a reduction in supporting strength, from the standpoint of occupant protection, it is not desirable to have an excessively rigid core, while the strength adjustment is made so that both of these conditions are satisfied.
Like this, in a vehicular steering wheel of the past, although adjustment of the inner metal core achieved a high degree of occupant protection, in recent years there have been demands for even further occupant protection characteristics.
Accordingly, in order to meet the above-noted demand for improved occupant protection, it is an object of the present invention to provide a steering wheel for a vehicle enabling a further increase in the degree of protection characteristics provided to an occupant when a vehicle collision occurs, in a part thereof that is not subjected to strength adjustment.
To achieve the object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a steering wheel for a vehicle, comprising a boss mounted to a vehicle, a rim configured annular, and inclined with a lower edge thereof protruding rearward, a spoke interconnecting the boss and the rim, a metal core passing through the boss and the spoke, and extending to the rim, the metal core having a weakened first part, and a pad mounted to a second part of the metal core lower than the first part, and inclined with a lower edge thereof protrucing rearwardly.